Device for layering storage containers with loose material



E. GOEKE Oct. 25, 1955 DEVICE FOR LAYERING STORAGE CONTAINERS W ITH LOOSE MATERIAL Filed 001:. l, 1953 awe/WM 6W Fig. 2

United States Patent O DEVICE FOR LAYERING STORAGE CONTAINERS WITH LOOSE MATERIAL Eberhard Goeke, Essen, Germany Application October 1, 1953, Serial No. 383,642

2 Claims. (Cl. 214-17) The invention relates to a device for layering storage containers with loose material, in which the material is fed by a radially displaceable throw-off band rotatable round a vertical axis.

In certain cases, for example when storing coal intended for coking, it is necessary to bring the material into the storage container while avoiding de-mixing. It is therefore necessary to bring the loose material into the storage container in uniform layers without the formation of a piled-up cone.

A method used for this purpose is to arrange above the storage container a radially displaceable throw-off band, rotatable round a vertical axis. of this type the throw-01f band, moved to and fro radially, runs with uniform velocity just like its rotating running frame. By this means however it is not possible to attain a uniform distribution of the loose material over With the known devices the whole cross section of the storage container, as with i which actuates the rotary movement must be decreased with increasing distance of the throw-off point from the vertical centre of the storage container. This reduction in velocity, as can easily be calculated, stands in inverse proportion to the distance of the throw-off point from the vertical centre of the storage container.

According to the invention it is therefore recommended to construct and arrange the drive, either for the longitudinal displacement or for the rotary movement of the throw-off band, in such a way that the velocity of one of the two drives or of both is automatically regulated in such a way that the product of radial velocity and longitudinal velocity of the throw-01f point is constant over the whole path.

According to the invention the regulation of the velocity of one of the two drives can be carried out in such a way that on the running frame of the throw-ofi band, along the running track, there is arranged a curved cam track by which, by means of a lever bar, there results a corresponding adjustment of the drive, which is for example formed as a continuously variable gear or motor. The idea of the invention can also be carried out with other means. For example by means of switches arranged in the running path the velocity of one of the two driving motors can be reduced in stages with increasing distance of the throw-off point from the vertical container axis.

A further means for reducing the velocity of the drive may consist of the arrangement of time relays which, from the effect of switches arranged in the path of the throw-off band, actuate the switching out of the driving motor for a longer or shorter time.

Finally it is also an object of the invention to stop the longitudinal displacement of the throw-off band after reaching the edge of the ledge projecting in the interior of the storage container, while the throw-01f band rotates further, by means of the end switch which reverses the current for change of direction and which is connected with a' time relay, for so long that the space underneath the ledge is filled.

, The diagrams show a preferred constructional form of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a partially sectioned longitudinal section through the upper part of a storage container with the layering device,

Fig. 2 is a plan according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 shows on a larger scale the drive of the layering device.

The storage container, marked 1, has in its upper part a ledge 2 directed towards the inside, on which is carried the ring-shaped track 3. On the ledge 2, between the rail 3 and the wall of the storage container, there is a free space for inspection.

The storage container 1 can have a rectangular or round cross section. On the ring rail 3 a running frame 4 is carried rotatably on running wheels 5. The running frame 4 is driven by a motor 6 which acts on one of the running wheels 5 through a transmission gear drive 7. On the running frame 4, on rails 8 of a running frame 9, is carried a throw-off band 10, which carries out to and fro movements by means of the running frame 9. As is seen from Fig. l, the material brought on to the band 10 by a filling tube carried in the vertical axis of the storage container is thrown oil? at 12 into the storage container, for which purpose the throw-01f band 10 rotates continuously in the direction of the arrow 13.

In Fig. l is shown the outer end position of the throwoff band 10, from whence, by the action of an end switch, not shown in the diagram, the driving motor 14 of, the running frame 9 is reversed so that the direction of running is now in the opposite direction. The inner end position of the throw-off band 10 is shown by dotanddash line at 12a. After reaching this inner end position there follows, again by means of an end switch, the reversal of the direction of running of the running frame 9.

In order to regulate automatically the velocity, according to the invention, of either the drive of the running frame 9 or the drive of the running frame 4 for the rotary movement, to be inversely proportional to the distance of the throw-01f point from the centre of rotation of frame 4 over the storage container, the driving motor 14 of the running frame 9 carrying the radially displaceable throw-off band 10 is provided with an infinitely variable drive 15, 16. This drive can be seen in detail diagrammatically from Fig. 3.

The infinitely variable drive 15, 16 consists in its simplest form of two oppositely arranged conical shaped rollers over which a belt 17 runs. The driving roller 16 is connected with a running wheel 22 the axle of which again is connected with the running frame 9, on one of the rails 8. The driving roller 15 is connected through a bevel wheel drive 18 and a transmission gearing 19 with the motor 14. The driving belt 17 is displaceable axially to the rollers 15, 16 by means of a fork 20. The fork 20 is guided in a longitudinal groove 21; in place of it a rail can be provided as the cam track.

As is seen especially in Fig. 2, the groove 21 runs in a path which deviates from the direction of running of the running frame 9 in such a way that, in the outer end position (as shown) of the running frame 9 carrying the throw-off band, the driving belt 17 is in the position in which the running frame 9 has the lowest velocity. Correspondingly the running frame 9 has its greatest speed in the innermost position, as shown by 12a. From this it follows that with increasing distance of the radially displaceable throw-off band from the vertical axis of rotation of the frame'4 for the storage container, the running speed of the throw-off band 10 decreases. In consequence of the movement of the throw-off band 10, which is thereby alternately retarded and accelerated, increasing with the distance of the throw-off point from the vertical axis of the container, the radial speed of the throw-off point is equalised, so that the loose material is uniformly distributed over the cross section of the storage container which is covered by the frame 4.

When the throw-off band 10 has reached the outer end position shown in the figures, and the end switch, not shown, has brought about the reversal of the direction of rotation of the reversing motor 14, at the same time a time relayalso not shownis actuated, this being adjusted for the necessary time, up to the switching in again of the driving motor 14, in order to fill the space lying below the ledge 2 in the uniform manner as explained. By these continued rotations of the rotating frame 4 with the driving motor 14 of the driving frame of the throwoff band 10 shut off, the result is attained that the material thrown off at the inner circumference of the ledge 2 lays against the wall of the storage container 1 in accordance with the piling angle, whereby the uniform distribution of the material over the whole cross section of the storage container is assured. Thus there results, from the throwing off of the material from the band 10, a substantially horizontal surface of the material in the container 1, broken merely by the piling up underneath the ledge 2. Thereby any de-rnixing of the material when it is brought into the storage container 1 is practically excluded.

It is also possible to form the edge 25 of the ledge as a sealing for the bunker, whereby also the edge 25 of the ledge forms the inner wall of the bunker so that there is no piling of the material.

' I claim:

1. Apparatus for layering loose material comprising a reciprocating carriage mounted for reciprocation in a radial direction on a rotatable carriage, a conveyor mounted on said reciprocating carriage, means for rotating the rotatable carriage, and means for reciprocating the reciprocating carriage at a progressively varying rate, which is greater near the axis of rotation of the rotatable carriage and slower as the reciprocating carriage increases in distance from said axis of rotation, said last mentioned means comprising two oppositely arranged conical shaped rollers, a drive belt running over both said rollers, one of said rollers being connected to a running Wheel of said reciprocating carriage to drive the same, and the other of said rollers being connected with a source of power to drive the same, a belt shifter for shifting the position of the drive belt axially of the conical rollers, and a cam guide for the belt shifter at an angle to the direction of running of the reciprocating carriage for operating the belt shifter in correspondence with the radial position of the reciprocating carriage relative to the axis of rotation of the rotatable carriage, said belt shifter and conical rollers and their drive belt being mounted for movement in unison with the reciprocating carriage, and the guide being stationary with respect thereto on the rotatable carriage.

2. Apparatus for layering loose material comprising a reciprocating carriage mounted for reciprocation in a radial direction on a rotatable carriage, a conveyor mounted on said reciprocating carriage, means for rotating the rotatable carriage, and means for reciprocating the reciprocating carriage at a progressively varying rate, which is greater near the axis of rotation of the rotatable carriage and slower as the reciprocating carriage increases in distance from said axis of rotation, said last mentioned means comprising two oppositely arranged conical shaped rollers, a drive belt running over both said rollers, one of said rollers being connected to said reciprocating carriage to drive the same, and the other of said rollers being connected with a source of power to drive the same, a belt shifter for shifting the position of the drive belt axially of the conical rollers, and a cam guide for the belt shifter at an angle to the direction of running of the reciprocating carriage for operating the belt shifter in correspondence with the radial position of the reciprocating carriage relative to the axis of rotation of the rotatable carriage, said belt shifter and conical rollers and their drive belt being mounted for movement in unison with the reciprocating carriage, and the guide being stationary with respect thereto on the rotatable carriage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

